Eugenia Choe: So We Speak
Sunnyside Records

Like many a jazz pianist, Eugenia Choe fronts a piano trio, just as she's done in the New York area for nearly a decade. Her latest release, however, is a trio album with a twist: in place of a bassist and drummer, So We Speak partners Choe with vibraphonist Yuhan Su and vocalist Song Yi Jeon, with the leader playing both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes. As is often the case, the project came about through a combination of circumstance and serendipity.

Choe, the daughter of South Korean immigrants who settled in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, assumed a strong family role in being the only fluent English speaker in her Asian American household. She was at the same time developing ever greater fluency on her instrument thanks to studies in classical piano at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and jazz at the New School for Jazz in New York City and SUNY Purchase. However, family issues and the pandemic pulled Choe away from music for a time, but upon returning she met Su and quickly bonded with her personally and musically. Sunday meetings evolved into tentative plans to record a duo album. When an old friend of Choe's, the Berlin-based vocalist Song Yi Jeon, informed her she would soon be in New York, the pianist decided to recast some of the duet pieces for trio, all of which led to rehearsals and then a studio session at Brooklyn's Acoustic Recording on September 21, 2023.

Song titles such as “This or That” and “Silver Lining” allude to the challenges that life in contemporary NYC can bring, and it's easy for insecurities and uncertainties to creep in. In such an environment, determination, perseverance, and resilience become key survival tactics as one navigates through the chaos. To help herself reflect on such issues, Choe devised an imaginary alter ego named Margie to personify that struggle and confront the at times harsh realities of big city living. Transformation occurs as Margie dedicates herself to the practice of Nabi (Korean for butterfly) and gradually adapts, stoically endures, and achieves self-liberation. So We Speak functions for Choe as a portrait of who she is but also who she aspires to be and articulates her hope for a world receptive to different cultures and the questioning of norms.

While the album includes duo and trio performances, the project's very much Choe's, given that the compositions were written by her and the album was produced by her too. That said, the contributions of Su and Jeon are critical to the album's character and are integral to the impact So We Speak makes. Choe's piano is the foundation, certainly, but the sound of it interlacing with Su's vibes and Jeon's voice helps make the release the special one it is. It's safe to say nothing of recent vintage sounds quite like it.

Entrancement sets in quickly when the delicate reverie “Margie” introduces the set with Jeon's voice dancing acrobatically over Choe's classically tinged voicings; the material blossoms even more splendidly when Su enters to make it a true trio performance. A duo episode arises that shows the rapport shared by Choe and Su and makes clear why the two were so excited when they first began playing together. The freer passage that follows, on the other hand, captures the ease with which the three interact and the comfort level they achieve when performing as a trio. Up next, the engrossing “This or That” showcases the pianist and vibraphonist's deft touch as rhythm players, soloists, and musical partners. Intimate and contemplative by comparison, the hushed title composition features Choe and Su again but this time in a dignified rhapsody. Based on a Korean lullaby, “Nabiya” reinstates the trio format, with the three midwifing an uplifting piece about transformation into being. Introspection is conveyed through Choe's gentle touch and the glassy shimmer of Su's bowed vibraphone, though things grow fiery when Jeon unleashes the full forces of her guttural vocal power.

The final trio piece, “You Get What You Paid For,” is a dynamic statement that originated out of advice Choe received from her mother, the message being that great things only ever come from hard work. Titled after the suburban neighbourhood where Choe grew up, “River Farm” exudes nostalgic tenderness in an absorbing rumination that begins with Fender Rhodes alone before blossoming into a lyrical duet with Su. A short yet touching piano solo, “After All,” speaks to Choe's gifts as a player, as does the track it leads into, the cautiously optimistic “Silver Lining,” the set's final setting for piano and vibes.

The finesse of Choe's classically influenced playing is perhaps the album's primary selling-point, though compositional variety and the performances of her partners are also major reasons why the album leaves the resonant impression it does. The pianist expands on that foundation, of course, with blues and jazz, the many years she's dedicated to her craft coming through in her playing every step of the way.

March 2025